Thursday’s Child: Livie & Luca Bows First Mommy-and-Me Collection

Mitzi Rivas, owner of Livie & Luca, plans to answer the call of the many women who have picked up the brand’s children’s styles and then inquire, “Can you make them in my size?” Rivas says she tossed the idea around for a bit and then thought, “Well, why not?” So for Fall ’11, Livie & Luca will introduce its first mommy-and-me collection.

Rivas notes that the bread and butter of her retail customers are independents, and that they’re ordering in small quantities to give the new pairing a go. As for the larger retailers, Rivas says they see it as a way to link the women’s and children’s departments. “For an online retailer,” Rivas offers, “You go to the site, buy the pair you’re looking for and then you happen to see an adorable shoe for your kids, which takes the shopper to the children’s portion of the site.” Of course, this scenario can work in reverse for moms shopping on a children’s page.

Rivas describes the women’s style as a “very simple ballerina flat,” which complements its children’s “Heidi” style. The company test marketed the idea and has strong expectations that the new shoe will go beyond the mom market and appeal to young women in their 20s. “It’s exciting,” Rivas says. “What do we have to lose?” —Meagan Walker

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